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David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, shared the results of new research that investigated how young non-Christians perceive Christianity. If you read through the FULL ARTICLE you will find some not very surprising findings.

For instance: “How Christianity is perceived.”

Non-Christians aged 16-29 years old were asked, “What is your current perception of Christianity?”

91% said antihomosexual
87% said judgmental
85% said hypocritical
78% said old-fashioned
75% said too involved in politics
72% said out of touch with reality
70% said insensitive to others

Wowza . . .

While these stats are not at all surprising, we must be careful how we respond. I think too often we take these real images of the church and try to be a church that is NOT those things. We begin to define ourselves by what we are NOT rather than what we are. Yes, I hope that the way I and the church serve God and live our faith is different that those widely held perceptions. But at the same time, I hope that we do those things because it is a natural response to God’s blessings in our lives and not so we will have a better showing in next year’s survey . . . though it WOULD be nice to have something like, “flippin’s sweet” as part of next year’s results.

10 Comments

Bruce, I appreciate this post. I hadn’t
looked at you as a peace maker trying to build bridges in the past (could be my
own mistakes), but I also haven’t read more than a handful of your blogs. Much
of what I did read came around the time of GA this summer. I appreciate what
you had to say here and you and I wouldn’t vote the same way much of the time
(I assume). But I appreciated it for the simple reason that it was not just the
typical partisan hackery from either side. One of things that pains me about the
modern political discourse is that we only define ourselves by what we aren’t
as opposed to who we are…I steer clear of partisan politics from the pulpit
except to make comments like that to put the mirror back on ourselves. And the
thing that is sad is we blame the politicians but they are only giving us what
we want to hear! Thank you for the good word.

It’s true that both parties have a base of people that will vote for “their party” no matter what. So he was dead on there. It was wrong to say that all of them are “moochers”. That said, I 100% agree with the overall flavor of his statements. As I stated on FB. Modern presidential elections are determined by tiny fractions. Most people who get welfare, food stamps and similar things vote democrat. Most people who dropped out of school, who use drugs, had children out of wedlock and now work low paying jobs if at all, feel that the “rich” owe them something and vote democrat. There is no point in trying to dispute that, it’s a fact.

So we know elections are determined by the tiniest of margins, it’s safe to say without those demographics I described democrats would never win an election unless they changed their platform.

I’m constantly amazed that liberal Christians seem to think that supporting the life styles of what I described is fine. It’s not fine. No I don’t think Jesus would be ok with the perpetuation of those life styles. He obviously was all about forgiveness, but with that means change. Forgiveness is pointless without it. I’m amazed how liberal Christians seem to forget, “feed a fish to a man feed him for a day, teach him to fish feed him for live” and how the bible rails against those who are lazy.

Am I the only commenter who sees what is going on in Europe? Am I the only one who sees the same thing happening here? Yes, hand ups, no to hand outs and perpetuation of welfare lifestyles. Yes, yes don’t bother to comeback to be about the old or the cripple or the sick, those people obviously need to be taken care of. But the fact we waste so much money on those who at one point or another made a series of bad decisions and are unwilling to change hinders our ability to help those truly deserving of it. Doesn’t anyone see that?!

This country will face terrible economic times unlike anything we have in the present if the majority of the us population receives more in government benefits then pay in TAXES. There won’t be a need to even have 2 parties.

In response to your claim that people who dropped out of high school vote Democrat, I’d point you to statistics showing that the less education people have completed, the more likely they are to vote Republican.
I’d also like to direct you to any number of verses in which Jesus exhorts us to provide for the poor — and not a single one where he tells us to judge their “lifestyles” or applaud the rich.

As always Tony, you bring such spice to the conversation 🙂 Side questions, how would you define “liberal Christian” and then do you see a difference between a “progressive” Christian? I am just curious as to you assumptions as you clearly have an idea about who they are.

I think Tony makes some good points and think also that it’s important to see these points in the light of “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone…” [Jn 8:7b] and find ways to walk with each other in our respective journeys. Both parties pander. Both parties (as well as all people) say regrettable things, kick the can down the road and make selfish decisions.
As voters, we need to hold ALL leaders accountable, not just the ones we dislike. For example, it is well-known that Congress has somewhere around a 10% approval rating. Yet we re-elect incumbents 91-94% of the time. Even in the revolution of 2010, there was 87% re-election. [source: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/incumbent-re-election-rates-in-the-2010-mid-terms/%5D Congressional districts have been drawn to be more homogeneous than ever. This makes it easy for us to elect someone who is just like us. But it makes it hard for them to find higher ground if they only have to please the homogenous group they represent.
Thus, we hate Congress, but love our congressperson. When is the last time we wrote our congressional rep, or Senator and urged them to compromise on the party line in order to reflect better values? I think we can be guilty of thinking that the end justifies the means instead of trusting that is we follow the right means, the right ends will happen.
Tony seems to value personal accountability and responsibility. My favorite text on that topic is Mt 7:3-5. “Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye when the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite,” People like that part, but the story continues, “first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.” We are supposed to watch each others blind side, but need to do our own work first.
Thanks for this topic. Peace

Recently in response to a FB post I admitted my aversion to politics. I was accused of therefore being an uninformed voter. But I don’t know what I’m learning about either candidate during this campaign that would help me make a more informed voter. I wish that candidates would read and agree with this blog…then act on it. Maybe I need to pray about that because that would require God’s intervention…a miracle.

Dear Leslie – how can you be dismissive of something that affects every part of your life outside your relationship with God? It’s apathy that also costs us so much of our freedom. Aren’t you tired of paying for other people’s mistakes and poor choices? Wouldn’t you rather appropriate that money for those who really need it as Tony said? Obama hates those who have worked so hard to take care of their own families and offer their children a bit of the American dream. My husband and I SACRIFICED by working our ways through college and avoiding sexual relationships while in school to be sure we could continue to pursue our dreams. WHY ARE WE DEMONIZED AS THE EVIL RICH?????? That is sick and evil in itself to call what is good, bad. But… God told us that in the end times, what was right will be called wrong and good shall be condemned. Vote conservative. Vote for Romney to preserve the possibility of the American dream for our own kids. Obama wants to see all of us stifled and no one can any longer attain The Dream. Those who vote for Democrats largely are on the dole and want to keep it that way. The others are filchers who profit from corporate cronyism (SOLYNDRA… among many others..)! BTW – I’m a public school teacher and get so very frustrated and angry that in a country where all citizens are offered a free and fairly decent education that we still have so much laziness and pleasure seeking and rebellion against the authority of the teachers who would help them find the success and financial rewards that our welfare youth want handed to them for nothing. God help us all.

Donna, so let me ask you the intent of your response to Leslie? This is a very honest questions in that I think it is important one for us all to answer. Is it to persuade her, just put something out there for other readers to read, shame, vent, etc.? Also, I would be very interested to know what you think about teacher’s unions, but that might be for another post.

Bruce Reyes-Chow

One of those "consultant" types who spends his time, blogging, teaching, speaking and writing. He also happens to be a Presbyterian Teaching Elder, father to three daughters, smug San Franciscan and FANatic of the Oakland Athletics Baseball club. Thanks for reading.